


Bittersweet Early Mornings

by Lohksparce



Series: A Guardian and a Dreg Walk Into a Bar [6]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: First Time Transmats Are Weird, Fluff, Gaia-1 (Original Character) - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Meeksis (Original Character) - Freeform, Morning Cuddles, Palindrome (Original Ghost)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:22:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23848900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohksparce/pseuds/Lohksparce
Summary: A short trip across the universe, and Gaia and Meeksis have done it: they've officially moved in together. It's a little bitter, but mostly sweet.
Relationships: Male Guardian/Original Fallen | Eliksni Character(s)
Series: A Guardian and a Dreg Walk Into a Bar [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695205
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Bittersweet Early Mornings

Meeksis' eyes slowly opened, taking in the bright shafts of light that scored the walls before his brain fully began to wake up. He blinked a few times, and smiled at the firm warmth against him. The light made Gaia-1's turquoise skin gleam beautifully. In the silence, Meeksis could hear the soft hum of the Exo's reactor and just barely feel it through the titanium and silicon plating that made up his chest. He snuggled up against Gaia with a smile and a raspy purr. Waking up next to someone was a pleasant and welcome feeling, and one he could definitely get used to. And having a whole bed, that was soft and warm and comfortable? It was a gift from the Great Machine itself.

Yawning, Meeksis stretched out a little, running one hand up the arm that was draped around his waist. Waking up to silence was an odd feeling. If he slept in his hideout, it was quiet, but one could still hear the roars of ships breaking into orbit, while sleeping in the Dreg nest meant all sorts of noise: snores, dreaming Eliksni, some who couldn't sleep and wandered about, and idle movement. He distinctly remembered one annoying Dreg who clicked in his sleep constantly and somehow became a Vandal. They kept everyone in the nest up, even the deepest sleepers. He didn't miss them.

Meeksis nuzzled into the crook of Gaia's neck with a soft sigh. The Titan began to stir, optics flickering into existence and sleepily roving over the Dreg against him. He smiled softly, bringing his hand up to cup Meeksis' cheek so he could gently rub the velvety flesh that flanked his mouth.

"Morning..." Gaia said, voice full of static as his vocal synthesizer tried to catch up with the rest of him. He yawned and leaned in to kiss the top of Meeksis' head. "How'd you sleep?"

"Sleep was very well. Best I have had." Meeksis said with sleepy burble, mandibles parting. "Bed is very soft, much more than Dreg nests in crew's base."

"I'm glad to hear it." Gaia smiled softly, bathing the Dreg in soft orange light. "Would you like some breakfast in bed?"

Meeksis cooed softly. "Yes, yes. More good first times. I get myself Ether too."

"Do you need a rebreather for it? I think Pal could transmat you one up somehow, I bet."

"Nama. I bring one with me." Meeksis leaned in close to Gaia and giggled. "Take from annoying Vandal."

"Ooh, that's terrible!" Gaia laughed. "How annoying were they?"

"Clicked all night long, all days. Keep me awake, drekhs awake. Probably keep enemies awake!" Meeksis said, head tilting back and forth as he mimicked the rapid, rhythmic clicking he and the other dregs had been tortured by for months on end.

"Traveler, that sounds like Thuros. Smallest Titan you'll ever see, but he snores like a Cabal! I hated having a room next to him. I love him to death but it was horrible."

Meeksis' eyes went wide. "Like a Cabal?"

"Maybe even worse. I've only seen a few sleeping Cabal though so I'm not sure how bad they can get." Gaia grinned.

"I thought I heard you two lovebirds in here. Good morning!" Palindrome chimed, floating through the decorative curtain that served as a bedroom door. His little blue optic stared down at Gaia and Meeksis, who were still cuddled up to each other in bed. "We're almost to the City now."

Gaia-1 gasped and turned to Meeksis. "Come on, you gotta see the Traveler before we get to my place!"

Meeksis opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't know what to say. Gaia grinned and pushed back the covers, taking the Dreg by the hand and pulling him to his feet excitedly. The Dreg swallowed a little, following Gaia and Palindrome through the little living room area outside their room and into the cockpit of the ship. Meeksis' eyes widened as the view of the Last City and the Traveler came into view.

Ships of all shapes and sizes dotted the sky, flying to wherever their destination was. The Traveler hung above the City, gleaming in the warm, early morning sun as its rings of glowing dust and debris slowly rotated around it. It was so much more beautiful than he could have ever imagined, and yet much smaller than he had imagined it to be. Ever since he was a hatchling, he had been told the tales of when the Great Machine graced the Eliksni, and the events that followed. It had seemed so vast and grand in the tales, larger than even Jupiter or Saturn, and yet here it sat above the city like a little moon. He wanted to touch it, see inside it, ask if it remembered the Eliksni. Did it know he was here, somehow?

Meeksis found himself drawn to the windows of the ship, and he just stared out in wonder at they sped past the Traveler, hands pressed against the thick glass. His chest and throat felt tight with emotion: happiness, excitement, wonder, sadness, and even a little anger.

How many Eliksni could say that saw the Great Machine in person?

For all that had happened, the Great Machine was just as beautiful as it was said to be.

"Are you okay?" Gaia asked softly, breaking the silence as he took a spot next to Meeksis.

"Eia... Am okay." Meeksis said, blinking and pulling his gaze away from the window. "Just... many things inside." He gestured to himself.

Gaia gently took hold of one of the Dreg's hands and gave the top of it a kiss. "Do you want to talk about those things?"

Meeksis' mandibles parted and then closed.

"Good, bad things, at same time. Do not know word in Guardian," Meeksis said with a trace of a pout, moving his free arm in a vague motion, around and then at himself. "A hurt, but a good hurt? Happy and sad both."

"I know what you mean," Gaia gave Meeksis a sad little smile. "We call it 'bittersweet'."

"Bittersveet. Bitter.. svvweet. Svweet." Meeksis' eyes narrowed slightly. "A strange term. But it is fitting."

The Titan was quiet for several moments. He looked towards the Traveler, and then to Meeksis, and he could feel the guilt building up inside him like rust.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted you to finally see it..." Gaia said softly, but Meeksis shook his head.

"Nama. No need for sorries. I am happy here to be, with you. Past cannot be changed." Meeksis shrugged, something he had picked up from Gaia. "Just do better, yes? Make Great Machine see Eliksni again."

Gaia gave the Dreg's hand a gentle squeeze, threading their fingers together. "Yeah. As perfect as you are, it'll have to do that."

Meeksis felt his face run cold: he had never been called perfect before.

"Hope so, I do too."

Silence filled the room as the jumpship slowly approached the Tower. Palindrome floated over to Gaia and gave him a gentle nudge, not wanting to break the moment with words. He gave Meeksis a little nuzzle too, being careful not to accidentally poke him with the pointy bits on his shell.

"I'm gonna pull our ship into the hangar, okay?" Gaia said after a few moments, feeling the ship slow to a stop as autopilot turned off. He reluctantly pulled away from Meeksis and headed to the controls. "Then we can just transmat into my place and relax."

"Transmat..." Meeksis shivered a little at the thought. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to that odd sensation of being unmade and then made again. So far, he had not missed crew life, but he preferred the drop lines of a Skiff to transmatting. Much less bodily strangeness unless one's claw got caught on something and a fall happened.

"It'll get easier with time." Palindrome said, hovering next to the Dreg's head. He leaned in, whispering: "Gaia hated it at first too. First time he transmatted, he was so shocked he tripped over his own feet and right into three other Guardians, who also fell into a frame. It was a huge mess. First day in the Tower too."

"Hey, I heard that!"

Palindrome just let out a little chiming laugh and nudged Meeksis affectionately.

Meeksis didn't know what a frame was but he laughed; he could imagine it well enough anyways.

The ship lurched to the right and jolted lightly as Gaia carefully parked it into one of the many docking ports, landing it safely. The Titan flicked a few switches to turn off various controls and panels, and the hum of the ship's engine faded away. If there was one thing he was sure he could do well, it was fly a ship. Years of practice that involving zipping to-and-fro within the known universe would do that.

"Okay, if we're quick, we can transmat out and no one'll ask any questions. We can set up all your stuff once we're inside." Gaia said, grinning a little despite his nervousness. Thank the Traveler they didn't have to go sneaking through the new Courtyard or anywhere else.

Meeksis tilted his head. "No one will see us?"

"Nope. Gaia's got a personal transmat station inside his house." Palindrome said, and he laughed a little. "I bet you're glad you accepted the place now, huh?"

"Yeah, I am. Being able to transmat in and flop right onto my bed is a gift from the Traveler." Gaia laughed. "Prep it for us?"

Palindrome spun the front half of his shell in a nod and began the calibrations.

"What is flop _?_ " Meeksis asked, blinking.

Gaia grinned. "I'll show you when we're inside."

"Okay, I'm hooked up." Palindrome announced. "Ready to go?"

"Ready!"

Meeksis clicked in displeasure and grasped one of Gaia's hands tightly, shutting his eyes tight. "Ready..."

In a shimmer of particles and light, the interior of their jumpship was replaced with the inside of a spacious apartment building. Meeksis shuddered, feeling an odd taste in the back of his mouth, and he wasn't sure if that was a side effect of transmatting or just bile. He swallowed again. Maybe it was both. He opened one eye, and then the other three, before looking down at himself. All his limbs were still attached to him, that was good.

"Welcome home, Meeksis." Gaia said, smiling and stepping forward to physically welcome the Dreg with open arms. After a moment, Palindrome appeared and Meeksis' things transmatted onto the floor behind them.

Meeksis cooed in awe: Gaia practically had an entire Dreg nest to himself. Rays of gentle sunlight filtered in through the curtained windows, coloring parts of the floor blue. He stepped forward cautiously, looking all around the various paintings of colorful landscapes and assorted trophies that hung on the lavender colored walls. A big, plush bed the likes of which he'd never seen before sat at the other end of the room, inviting and covered in a colorful blanket. There were shelves full of little trinkets and books and things too, just like his little hide away, and he couldn't help smiling a little. Bittersweet was the feeling, wasn't it? He would miss his little hiding hole but Gaia's place was good, very good.

"Is pretty. Like it." Meeksis said, taking a few more steps and looking at the kitchen off to the side curiously.

"I'm glad. You can put your stuff wherever you like, just move my junk out of the way. But!| Gaia called out suddenly, putting his hands on his hips. "First, you must flop on the bed. Like this!"

Gaia laughed and took a little running start before leaping at his bed and flopping face first into the fuzzy blanket with a grunt, making the bed shake. It was truly a wonderful thing, to have beds that could support Exos and Guardians, and all the shenanigans that came with them.

"That was flop?" Meeksis asked, looking at Palindrome.

"Yes, that was a flop. Gaia likes to do that for some reason. And so do I!" Palindrome yelled out, floating over and letting himself plop down onto a puffy pillow with a tiny ' _oomph_ '. He corrected himself and looked at Meeksis. "It's a tradition."

Meeksis just stared at them, and let out a burst of clicking laughter.

Gaia looked up from the bed, shifting and turning around to grin at the Dreg. "Your turn."

"Okay, okay, I flop too," Meeksis chittered, eyes sparkling in the sunlight even as they narrowed to slivers, and Gaia just smiled like a fool. He'd never tire of how beautiful Meeksis was.

Meeksis' eyes narrowed slightly. He took a few steps back and then leapt at the bed, landing face-first on the bed beside Gaia, bouncing a few times before he stilled. The bed was a lot softer than he expected. Blinking a few times, he lifted his head, and the Titan just grinned hard at him, mouth lights about as bright as the morning sun.

"Congratulations on your first bed flop." Gaia said, smiling and scooting closer to Meeksis. He looked at him, optics flaring up with expectancy. "How was it?"

Meeksis was quiet for a few moments, turning over to face Gaia before he chirped, "Strange. Do not 'get it'. But... fun. I think I like it."

"I'm glad." Gaia's voice softened, and he reached out to pull Meeksis close to him.

The Dreg smiled back and wrapped his arms around Gaia, pushing his face into the crook of his neck and letting himself relax with a soft breath. Gaia's oral lights flickered with happiness, and he leaned into nuzzle the top of Meeksis' head gently, pressing his mouth against the cool exoskeletal plates in a kiss. Meeksis purred softly, shutting his eyes and pushing against Gaia as much as he could. The Exo was as warm as ever against him, and it felt good to be able to be so close together again. The warmth of the sun bled through, a stark comparison to the Shore's eternally chilly air. Everything about his new home seemed so comfortable and welcoming. Would he miss the Shore? His crew? Some of them he had been on friendly terms with. Not friends, but something. Maybe in time, but for now, things were good. When and if that time came, he would be fine.

Meeksis pulled back slightly, looking up into Gaia's orange optics.

"Love you." He said softly, claws coming up to tenderly touch his open mechanical cheek.

He had to hold back a chitter of laughter at the audible sound of the Exo's fans whirring loudly, and the gentle puffs of air from the vents on his body trying to get rid of heat.

Gaia smiled and pressed his mouth to Meeksis'."I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot to add a song list so everyone can know the song that inspired/was mood music for each chapter/section!
> 
> Something About You - Something About Us by Daft Punk
> 
> Strobe Lights - Strobelites by The Gorillaz
> 
> You Make My Colors Brighter - You Make Colors Out of Grey by kudasai
> 
> Dancing in the Shore - Slow Dancing in the Dark by Joji
> 
> To Space and Beyond - SPACEDANDYWAVE by rady
> 
> And this one: Bittersweet Early Mornings - Sweet Sunday Morning by Ashley Chirnside/AshHoppsMusic


End file.
